Was spy equipment to blame for US diplomats’ mystery illnesses in China and Cuba?
New research points to bugging or surveillance rather than sonic weapon attack as cause of ailments that affected dozens of envoys and their families
The mystery illness afflicting American diplomats in Cuba and China could be a side effect of bugging or surveillance rather than a sonic weapon attack, according to a US researcher.
Dr Beatrice Golomb, professor of medicine at the University of California San Diego, said the reported symptoms strongly matched the known effects of radio frequency and microwave radiation.
“Surveillance is my lead hypothesis, as opposed to something like attacks or weaponry,” said Golomb, whose research will be published in the journal Neural Computation on September 15.
She said she hoped her study could aid in the treatment of the affected diplomats and help the US government determine the precise cause of their illness.
More than three dozen American diplomats and their families in Cuba and China have been affected by ailments that reportedly began after they heard mysterious sounds and experienced strange aural sensations. A group of Canadian diplomats has also been affected.
Most recently, nine Americans who worked with the US consulate in the southern city of Guangzhou were medically evacuated from China in May and June.
